Match safe and delivery.



B. D. MILLER.

MATCH SAFE AND DELIVERY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. x917.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

BENJAMIN D. MILLER, OF WOOSTER, OHIO, ASSIGNQB 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. MORE.

MATCH SAFE AND DELIVERY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Get. 15, 1918.

. Application filed September 15, 1917. Serial No. 191,603.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN D. MILLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Wooster, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Match Safe and Delivery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for match.

safes and for delivery of matches therefrom, one at a t1me, to users.

Its objects are, first, to provide improved means for retaining matches therein so as to prevent a plurality from being extracted at a time; second, to provide simple and efficient means for readily extracting matches-from the safe, only one at a time; third, improved means for separating and delivering matches within easy reach of a user, outside the safe, one at a time; and, fourth, improved means for opening and closing the match safe to replenishthe same, in connection with the other functions thereof.

It consists of the several novel elements and combination of parts employed to accomplish said objects, all as hereinafter fully set forth, and stated in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a match safe and devices embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the dotted line 1 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of parts of Fig. 1, other parts being cutaway for better illustration.

Fig. 1 also shows a portion cut away at one side to exhibit a store of matches therein, also shown in Fig. 2.

The box A, base B, standard C vertically secured thereto, and slide D attached to the rear and under side of the box, constitute the framework of my device. The standard C is reinforced by a longitudinal plateK to which it is secured near the base B so as to leave a lateral and longitudinal space (5 between them, to serve as a guideway for the back side J of the box to reciprocate vertically therein, when the box is moved up and down, as indicated by the arrows on and y.

The slide D is mounted slidably upon the standard and plate, C K, in such a manner as to support the box thereon, and permit the same to be reciprocated vertically a limited distance thereon.

The lengths of the standard C and plate K are proportioned so that they extend a little distance above the top of the box A when the slide D rests upon the base B; and the rear side J of the box is adapted to slide vertically between said standard and plate a distance about equal to the length of said rear side, measured vertically. A horizontal ledge is formed in the side of said plate K near its top, ofsuiiicient depth to receivev and support a single match lying fiatwise thereon, said ledge being formed partly by the horizontal lip a, which projects slightly up-.

wardly and outwardly, thus making a shallow trough for the match. Above said ledge a horizontal rib Z) is projected across the plate and slopes rearwardly to. its terminus 0, thereby forming a wedge-shaped hump thereon having its edge end at saidterminus, and its lower enlarged end above and opposite said ledge, with an intervening space for a single match to lie horizontally between them, for a purpose hereafter stated.

The box cover F is preferably of glass, and slopes upwardly to a point near the top of the rear side of the box, and stops short of meeting the same sufiicient to leave an opening just wide enough to permit the pas sage of a match lying on said ledge. The upward movement of the box is limited by the set screw 9, which passes through the standard and plate aforesaid near their up per ends, and through a longitudinal slot 3 in the said rear side J, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Its downward movement is limited by the slide D upon the base B. Said slot 8 extends to a point near enough to the bottom G of the box to bring the lip a of said ledge f slightly below its upper surface when the box is elevated to its limit, as shown in Fig. 2, a, f, c, the set screw 9 having reached the lower end of the slot 8 at g.

Said bottom G slants downwardly from front to rear thereof, where it joins therear wall of the match box by an acute angle.

A slot at said junction, in length and width a little greater than the length and width of said ledge, afiords a passage way for the latter to a point below said bottom when .saidbox-is raised to its limits aforesaid; audthe limiting slot extends upwardly iii an extension of the rear wall suffic ent to )ermit the set screw and therewith said 7 l a as aforesaid, are in slidable contact withthe inner surface of said rear wall J from top to bottom thereof, which prevents match dislodgment, as hereafter stated.

The action is such, that when the box is lowered to its limits, a single match m is segregated and carried vertically until it reaches a point just beyond said opening at the top, as at m, Fig. 2, and is thence discharged downwardly over the glass cover F, until by gravity it reaches the stops '5 2', as shown at 017?, within'easy reach of the user. Said discharge is accomplished by means of downwardly slanting lateral extensions 6 e from the rear wallJ and its upper end E integral with the box A, said extensions projectin across the upward path of said match at hot ends simultaneously, as shown at m, force the latter'in a horizontal plane forwardly over the lip of said ledge by the upward movement of the box as aforesaid.

1 The plate I supporting the stops 2' i is removably secured to the front portion of the match box by a suitable lock, said stops also serving to hold the glass cover L in position, and adapting it to be removedat pleasure, to replenish the boxwhen necessary. I am aware that a match box having its rear side open, and slidable vertically upon a stationary plate having a match recess therein adjacent said open side to communicate therewith, has been heretofore constructed; also, that it is not new to combine a match'ejector with a receptacle hav ing an opening in its top through which matches may be delivered one at a time outside of the receptacle, and such I do not broadly claim. I i v Heretofo-re inventions for delivery of matches singly have been defective for want of eflicient means for segregating a single match from the mass of matches within the match box, and for delivering it with safety and precision outside of the box for convenient use.

. The primary object of my invention is to overcome these defects, and I accomplish this by three novel elements and their combination as herein set fortln'nameiy, by constructing the rear wall of the match-box to slide a limited distance up and down between thestandard C and ejector plate K, and by the presence of said wall and friction of said plate upon the adjacent mass of matches in. the box which aidmateriallyin segregating and carrying out a singlematch from said mass; second, by constructing said raised portion or hump on the inner surfar e of said ejector plate, with wedge-shaped terminus, above said match ledge whereby said massof matches is lifted from, and a'passage made therethrough for a single match in advance of its transit, without danger of miscarriage; and third, by arranging. a pair oflateral extensions from said rear wall to engage said segregated match at both ends simultaneously, and thereby discharge the same from said ledge more evenly and certainly than has heretofore been possible.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. In a device of the character described, the combination with a standard, a plate mounted adjacent to said standard, a match box having a downwardly and rearwardly sloped bottom, and its rear wall mounted to slide vertically a limited distance between said standard and said'plate, a horizontal opening in the bottom and in the top of said box adjacent to said rear wall and the path of-said plate, a ledge horizontally across'the front side of said plate near its top, a bump on said plate above said ledge terminating wedge-shaped upwardly, and means for discharging a match from said ledge after its passage through said top opening, substantially as set forth.

2., In a device of the character described, the combination with a standard, a plate adjacent to said standard, a match-box having a sloping top and bottom, and mounted to slide up and down a limited distance on said standard, its rear wall being slidable between said plate and saidstandard vertically, a vertical slot in said rear wall," and a limiting set-screw passing: through said slot and connecting said plate and standard near theirupper ends, a horizontal opening in the bottom and in the top of said box adjacent to said rear wall and the path of said plate, a ledge for a single match horizontally across the front side ofsaid plate near its top, a hump on said plate above said ledge terminating wedge-shaped upwardly, and means for automatically discharging a match from said ledge over said top, subtop of said box adjacent said rear Wall and on opposite sides of said box, substantially the path of said plate, a horizontal ledge as set forth and for the purpose specified. 10

for a match on the front side of said plate In Witness whereof, I hereunto set my near its top, a hump on said plate above hand this 9th day of July, 1917.

said ledge having a Wedge-shaped upper BENJ. D. MILLER. terminus, and a pair of extensions from the In presence of rear Wall of said box above its top slanting HIRAM B. SWARTZ,

downwardly across the path of said ledge CHARLES C. JoNEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

